Palmer Luckey, el revolucionario trumpista de la realidad virtual

Palmer Luckey, the Trump-supporting virtual reality innovator, expressed concern about being forced to do what he was programmed to do at the age of 8, said in 2024. The classic tech genius with an aloof appearance and extravagant ideas, Luckey identifies himself as an autodidact engineer, pirate, manufacturer, and electronics enthusiast.

A fan of Hawaiian shirts and video games, he became a millionaire by selling his virtual reality company Oculus to Facebook for $2 billion in 2012. However, his support for Donald Trump in the 2016 elections made him an outcast among Silicon Valley elites. Despite this setback, Luckey managed to turn the tide and his influence has been growing, alongside the size of his businesses.

After selling Oculus to Facebook, Luckey founded Anduril, a manufacturer of autonomous armed systems with artificial intelligence (AI), and Erebor, a bank aiming to fill the void left by the bankruptcy of Silicon Valley Bank. With these ventures, he has tripled his wealth to $6 billion in less than three years. Self-taught, Luckey didn't attend any schools until he was 14, as his mother taught him at home.

It was during this period that he developed his passion for video games and homemade experiments, which often resulted in electrical shocks. Looking back, he admits it's a miracle he's still alive. Instead of pursuing engineering, Luckey chose journalism in college because he wanted to learn proper writing and start his own technology blog.

His intentions were quickly scrapped when Oculus VR, his first major business venture, demanded his full dedication. In 2012, he abandoned his journalism studies after John Carmack, a prominent figure in the sector, joined the project, making it easier to secure funding and attract Facebook's interest. Luckey fulfilled his childhood dream of working on Oculus VR, which he had pursued since he was 16, while also becoming a key executive for one of the world's largest tech companies.

However, his time at the social media giant ended prematurely in 2017 when it was discovered that he had donated money to a campaign billboard that claimed Hillary Clinton was too old to go to jail.